Telemetrio control apparatus



June 22, 1943.

R. P. LOWE TELEMETRIC CONTROL APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 15, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet l Ruor P. LOWE INVENTOR ATTORNEY June 22, 1943. R. P. LOWE 2,322,373

TELEMETRIC CONTROL APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 15, 1938 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 RUDY P. LOWE INVENTQR -Ww (BM ATTORNEY June 22, 1943.

R. P. LOWE 2,322,373 I TELEMETRI C CONTROL APPARATUS Original Filed Jan. 15, 1958 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Ruor P. Lowe INVENTOR WM QM.

ATTORNEY my control system.

Patented June 22, 1943 TELEMETRIO CONTROL APPARATUS Rudy P. Lowe, Cranston, R. 1., assignor to Builders Iron Foundry, Pro tion of Rhode Island January 15, 1938, Serial No. an

Original application 185,181. Divided her 6, 1939, Serial 3 Claims.

This invention relates to telemetric apparatus. An object of the invention is the provision vidence, R. 1., a corporad this application Decem of a novel means for controlling a dependent quantity, such as the rate of delivery of a substance, in accordance with a master quantity, such as a set rate or the rate of delivery of another substance. A more specific object is to provide a novel apparatus adapted for the effective and accurate control of the delivery of a substance in response to signals corresponding to the weight of material passing over a conveyor type scale.

Other features and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described and claimed.

The present application is a division of my application Serial Number 185,181, filed January 15, 1938, now Patent No. 2,261,655.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view illustrating an embodiment of the invention in which the rate of delivery of a substance is controlled to a desired proportion to the rate of delivery of another substance.

Figure 2 is a diagrammatic view showing an embodiment wherein the rate of delivery of a substance is controlled in accordance with a set rate.

Figure 3 is a-diagrammatic view illustrating a form of a. transmitter which may be employed in my telemetric control system.

Figure 4 is a view illustrating an embodiment of a means responsive to transmitter signals for controlling the rate or delivery of a substance'in Referring to the. drawings, there is shown in Fig. 1 a schematic layout of the main units of one embodiment in which the flow oimaterial on the continuously traveling endless belt I is considered the dependent quantity to be controlled to a desired proportion to a master quantity, which, in this instance, is the flow of material on the continuously traveling endless belt 2. Scale 3 of well-known design measures the weight of material on a section of belt I and scale 4, similarly of well-known design, measures the weight of material on a section of belt 2. Connected to scale 4 and positioned thereby is a telemetric transmitter 5 which cyclically sends electrical impulses to a difierential speed controller 6.

Motor I drives a conventional variable speed device 8 which operates a feeding device 9 for supplying material from hopper I0 to the belt I The diiferential speed controller 6 is itself controlled jointly by the output speed of device 8 and telemetric impulses from transmitter 5. The

motor I and feeder. 9

differential speed controller Ii controlsthe operation of reversible motor I I, which in turn regulates the speed ratio between motor I and feeder 8 in a well-known manner.

Underload limit switch I2 on scale 4 stops mo tor I and diiferential speed controller 6 when the load on scale 4 falls below the normal operating range. It is understood that other supplementary controls well-known in the art may be applied such as switches to stop various parts of the system if either belt drive fails or if the load on either belt becomes excessive or if the supply of material for either belt fails.

In Figure 2 a. continuous and constant rate of flow of material on belt I is maintained by controlling the speed of feeder 9. Scale 3 measures the weight of material on a section of belt I. Connected to scale 3 and positioned thereby is telemetrtic transmitter 5 which cyclically sends to differential speed controller 6 electrical impulses of time duration corresponding to the weight on scale 3. Motor I drives variable speed device 8 which operates a feeding device 9 for thematerial on belt I. Differential speed controller 6 is controlled jointly by the output speed of .device 8 and the telemetric impulses from transinitter5. The diiferential speed controller 6 controls the operation of reversible motor II, which in turn regulates the speed ratio between in a manner well known in the art.

Underload limit switch I3 on scale 3 stops motor I and differential speed controller 6 when the load on scale 3 falls below the normal operating range. Other supplementary controls may be applied as described under Fig. 1.

' Fig. 3 illustrates a form of transmitter 5 which may be employed. Said transmitter comprises a cam I4 which is continuously rotated at constant speed by synchronousmotor I5, Coacting with cam I4 is a contact I6 mounted on an element I1 which is connected to scale {of Figure 2, or to scale 4 of Figure 1, to be positioned in accordance with the net load on said scale. Said scale may be of a well-known type wherein the tare or empty belt weight is automatically eliminated in the arrangement of the scale levers, so

that the relative position of element I1 and contact IS with cam I4 is proportional to the net weight, 1. e., the weight of the material on the belt. Cam I4 is connected by brush I8 to one of a pair of wires I9, 20 whichv lead from a suitable source of electrical energy. When contactor I6 engages cam I4, a circuit is completed from wire I9 through brush I8, cam I4 and con- 2 I assasrs tactor l6 through wire 2| which leads to the differential speed controller 5. Elpcciflcally, a circuit is closed by way of said cam, contactor, in

and wire 2|, through a solenoid 22 (Pig. ll said differential speed controller, and t her through wire 23 to wire 20. Thus in each. eye of rotation of the transmitter cam I4 11 Uri is closed through said sol lid for an ii'ttc. proportional to the net W on that portion of the conveor that is on scale 3.

As previously noted, the dri ing motor l won stitutes the input to a var' 3 spa iii devil ll of conventional type, the outwit of which i ates the feeder 9 or any other apparatus 1 to be controlled. The ratio of input output speed of the variable on device t c be regulated, as is well undcr i and in the a adjustment of shaft 24. 'I through gearing 25 by revorsihic the output shaft of variable sprocket 26 which is connc sprocket 28 on shaft 29 ct ti controller 5. Also attach L gear 30 which forms om ll i [or driving the pinion 3i oli- 3| which in turn is ,iourn chronous motor 32 is electrical cnercy throu k, t shaft 24 in the rotor speed ratio E to e toi be shifted to different 1, by manual adjustment oi the shaft of motor 32 is a di wheel 36 attached to shaft all in the opposite direction to ti on shaft 39 is a clutch flit case a slidable clutch me nh 42. Secured t0 shaft 42 l i other half of the differential in ion 3|. Member 41 is normally held disengai zed o from member by means of spring 44 attached scribed may he to arm 45. The previously mentioned solenoid of feed of material to th belt l oi may be 22. in circuit with cam 14 and contactor it of governed by turning the i U min th transmitter 5, is adapted when energized to atdesired relation between the dish: 31 i. .l roller 38. tract the arm 45, when the telemetric signals 45 It will be understood, however, ii it in this case from the transmitter energize solenoid 2!, arm 45 the wires and 5! should he tron i ised at motor is attracted thereto, which causes engagement ll so that the drive 8 will be co' seri to operate of member 4| with member 40 to drive gear 43 more slowly in response to longer l'llllll'; to soloat a speed determined by the relative position hold 22 and faster in response to shorter signals. of disc 31 with wheel 18. A resilient extension 50 Once the desired rate set by screw 36, the units 48 of shaft 3| carries contact 41 which is con- 8, 6, and II will thus automatically control the nected to a source of electrical energy through feeding to scale 3 to a definite weight per unit wire 33. Contact 41 is adapted to engage contact time. If a greater or less rate desired. it is 48 or contact 48 according to the direction of merely necessary to change the position of disc 31 movement of shaft II. Contact 48 is connected by adjustment of screw 36. Moving disc 31 to to motor II by wire 50 and contact 49 is connectthe left increases the speed of roller 38, thereby ed to motor H by wire 5|. The common terminal causing contact 41 to engage contact 45 to cause of motor II is connected to a source of electrimotor II to decrease the output speed of unit 5 ca] energy through wires 52 and 34. Engage- (the wires 50 and 51 being transposed with rement of contact 41 with contact 48 causes rota- 5O spect to their Figure 4 positions when applied to tion of motor H in one direction and engagement the embodiment in 2). Immcrlliately the of' contact 41 with contact 49 causes rotation of scale measures less Weight d the ore transmotor 1;; th opposite i e ti mitter 5 sends shorter signals to solenoid 22 until The operation of the apparatus shown in Fig 3U and 43 is 4 is as follows: Gear 30, which is driven at a speed proportional to the rate of feeding or the variable speed drive 8, tends to cause contact ii to engage, for example, contact 48. Gear t which is driven in the opposite direction to t by being connected intermittently to synl ii the use nous motor 32, tends to cause contact 41 i; our in any gage contact 49. Contacts 48 and 49 are i mrim-d a. sufficient distance apart so that when H ti m, various put speed of the variable speed drive 8 c of m the contact 41 merely oscillates between con at I claim:

1. In a telemetric controller, means for delivering material at a variable rate, a member movable at a speed corresponding to said rate of delivery, means for transmitting cyclical signals of a duration corresponding to a quantity, means responsive to said signals, a member movable by said signal responsive means in a direction opposite to that of the first mentioned member through an extent in each cycle commensurate with the duration of the signal, contact means operable in each cycle through an extent and in a direction corresponding to the difference between the movement of the first mentioned member and the second mentioned member, and means controlled by said contact means for varying saidrateof delivery.

2. In a telemetric controller, means for delivering material at a variable rate, a member movable at a speed corresponding to said rate of delivery, means for transmitting cyclical signals of a duration corresponding to a quantity, means responsive to said signals, a member movable by said signal responsive means in a direction opposite to that of the first mentioned member through an extent in each cycle commensurate with the duration of the signal, contact means operable in each cycle through an extent and in a. direction corresponding to the difference between the movement of the first mentioned member and the second mentioned member, means controlled by said contact means for varying said rate of delivery, and means for varying the extent of movement of said second mentioned member for a signal of given duration.

3. In a telemetric control system, a continuously moving conveyor, means for continuously weighing material on said conveyor, means controlled by said weighing means for sending cyclical signals of a time duration corresponding to weight of material, motor means operable at substantially constant speed, a movable element, means responsive to said signals for connecting said element to said motor means for the duration of said signals, means continuously operable in accordance with the rate of delivery of a substance, and means jointly controlled by said element and the last mentioned continuously operable means for varying the rate of delivery of a substance.

RUDY P. LOWE. 

